Some people are for the whales. Some are for the trees. We're for dogs. Boy dogs and girl dogs. The big ones and the little ones. The guardians and the comedians. The pure breeds and the mutts.

We're for walks, runs and romps. Digging, sniffing and fetching. Belly-scratch
leg kicks. A big smile. Hard play with the squeeky ball. A tail-thumpin' licking.
A cold dog nose where no cold dog nose has gone before. We're for dog parks,
dog doors and the dog days of summer. Shake paws? Go for a ride? Cookie? Pssssst!
Get that kitty!

If there were an international holiday for dogs, on which all dogs were universally
recognized for their contribution to the improvement of our quality of life
on earth, we'd be for that too. Dogs make us happy. Dogs rule!

Lifespan

The old rule-of-thumb that one dog
year equals seven years of a human life is not accurate. The ratio is higher
with youth and decreases a bit as the dog ages. Depending on breed, a dog experiences
the raging hormones of adolescence anywhere from eight months to two years or
more. Generally, a dog of six has aged about as much as a 45-year-old human.
At 10, she's like a human of 65; at 12, a human of 75; and at 15, a human of
90.

Dog Years

A dog's lifespan is only a fraction of the average human's lifespan, which means that a dog ages more quickly in the same amount of time. This chart shows how a dog's age might be adjusted to compare to a human's age.

Canine Age

Human Age

2 Months

14 Months

6 Months

5 Years

8 Months

9 Years

1 Year

15 Years

2 Years

24 Years

3 Years

28 Years

4 Years

32 Years

5 Years

37 Years

6 Years

42 Years

7 Years

47 Years

8 Years

52 Years

9 Years

57 Years

10 Years

62 Years

11 Years

67 Years

12 Years

72 Years

13 Years

77 Years

14 Years

82 Years

Approximate Annual Dog Care Costs

Costs vary depending on charges by individual veterinarians.
Costs do not include any initial adoption fee or purchase cost for the animal. Assuming the average lifespan of a dog is ten years, the estimated cost of owning a dog for its lifetime is over $8300.